Urban Meyer Petition Launched to 'Save' Ohio State HC, Fans Plan On-Campus Rally

Some Ohio State fans have taken it into their own hands to try to save the job of head football coach Urban Meyer.

Caitlyn Holroyd of theScore noted a "Save Urban Meyer" petition launched on Change.org had more than 25,000 signatures as of Sunday. Blake Firestone started the petition in an effort to prevent Meyer's firing after he was placed on paid administrative leave while an investigation determines what he knew and how he handled domestic violence allegations against former assistant Zach Smith.

What's more, Jackie Orozco of ABC 6 in Columbus reported a fan named Jeff Hamms is organizing a rally on Ohio State's campus in support of Meyer.

The petition says "Urban Meyer is on the hot seat and can be wrongfully fired from Ohio State it is up to us Buckeye Nation to help him not just for him but for THE Ohio State University and the great state of Ohio!"

As for the rally, Hamms called for "a peacefully rally" as a response to "so much negative press with Coach Meyer."

Ohio State fired Smith in the aftermath of a report from Brett McMurphy. In a later report, Courtney Smith, the ex-wife of Zach Smith, presented McMurphy with evidence of physical abuse and revealed she told Meyer's wife, Shelley Meyer, and the wives of other assistants about Smith's abuse.

Meyer denied knowledge of the domestic violence allegations from 2015 while speaking at Big Ten media days in Chicago.

However, he later released a statement Friday, saying, "I have always followed proper reporting protocols and procedures when I have learned of an incident involving a student-athlete, coach or member of our staff by elevating the issues to the proper channels. And, I did so regarding the Zach Smith incident in 2015. I take that responsibility very seriously and any suggestion to the contrary is simply false."

He also said he wasn't prepared to handle the questions regarding the allegations at Big Ten media days in the statement.

Ohio State has named Ryan Day the interim head coach while the investigation is conducted.